Going-Natural: How to Fall in Love with Nappy Hair [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Mireille Liong-A-Kong (Author)

Book Description

Release date: December 31, 2004

Have you ever considered going natural but thought it would be too hard? Try Going-Natural!

Many of us are alienated from our stigmatized coils and have no clue what to do with our nappy hair.

This book helps you reacquaint with your natural naps and shows you how to grow out a perm. But more than that, this book makes a joy out of what you thought would be a difficult journey.

Find out
~ The best way for you to go natural
~ How to enjoy your journey
~ Why your hair is breaking
~ The basics of natural hair styling
~ How to grow and groom natural hair

Editorial Reviews

Review

By Joyce Toni Oliver's
Good things come in small packages! This is the best little book on natural hair care that I have ever read, and believe me I have read quite a few. Most others talk about weave care and perm care, and other products and processes that have no health value at all, but are, in reality, the root cause of hair breakage and other Black hair care problems. This book succintly lists hair care ingredients to avoid and those to incorporate. It explains in plain and simple language why various products are damaging to Black hair and Black health. Websites are also provided for updated information and to further the discussion on health and hair. Kudos to Mirielle! Never before has anyone de-mystified and simplified Black hair care from perspective of health and natural beauty. --amazon.com

A Must Have For All Naturals, By S. D. Bledsoe
A fantastic reference guide to caring for natural hair and full of good advice and natural hair "recipes." I've fallen in love with the recipe for moisturizing spray. It utilizes inexpensive ingredients, (distilled water, vegetable glycerin, and aloe vera juice) but it works much better on my hair than most commercial products.

The book also shows the variety of hair styling options available to naturals; too many of us think we are limited to a TWA or locks.

Finally, it is refreshing to find a book on natural hair care in which the models are truly "natural," and not sporting weaves and/or texturizers. This allowed me to make a realistic assessment of how a finished style will look on my hair. I only wish that I had this book while I was transitioning. --amazon.com

Hair Bible, By L. Penny
I have to say that for someone that didn't have no one to go to about my natural kinks, I was so happy when I recieved this book. I call it my hair bible because I feel like it has given me hope for my hair. I'm still learning what to do with it and how it can be neat and healthy at the same time but this book has definitely help me through my journey. I was natural for 2 yrs when I got this book and I'm so happy I bought it. It was worth my 12 dollars. Every penny :) --amazon.com

About the Author

About the author Mireille Liong-A-Kong a native of Suriname, South America, majored in Computer Science from the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands. That is where she was first successfully published. Her book, the first Dutch book about Afrikan hair, was sold out within 2 months.

Liong also designed the websites kroeshaar.com and going-natural.com to collect and share information about natural hair.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Sabi Wiri Inc; 1st edition (December 31, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0976096102
• ISBN-13: 978-0976096108
• Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.3 x 9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (79 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #189,146 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #6 in Books > Health, Fitness & Dieting > Beauty, Grooming, & Style > Hair

More About the Author

Mireille Liong-A-Kong, a Suriname native, graduated with a Master Degree in IT from the University of Amsterdam and changed the capital of Holland for the city of Brooklyn New York in 2003.

Suffering from relaxer induced alopecia, a hair loss disorder that disproportionately affects Black women, inspired Liong to devote her professional expertise to the advantage of Natural Hair.

In this spirit Liong published Going Natural, How to Fall in Love with Nappy Hair and designed going-natural.com, now a leading web and social networking site with more than 26.000 members.

To literally paint a different picture of African hair, Liong began photographing natural hairstyles resulting in an exceptional collection of images of Black hairdos. The collection suitably named The Pursuit of Nappiness has been on display in several galleries in New York.

To continue to promote the beauty of natural hair Liong, started America's Next Natural Model, an online pageant, using new technology to drive her message.

Liong's latest addition to improve Black women's hair's health is the Going Natural Hair Care line. She understands that it is essential for a healthy perspective of African hair to be supported by good natural hair care products that allow the strands to flourish.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

63 of 64 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have For All Naturals November 16, 2005

By S. D. Bledsoe

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

A fantastic reference guide to caring for natural hair and full of good advice and natural hair "recipes." I've fallen in love with the recipe for moisturizing spray. It utilizes inexpensive ingredients, (distilled water, vegetable glycerin, and aloe vera juice) but it works much better on my hair than most commercial products.

The book also shows the variety of hair styling options available to naturals; too many of us think we are limited to a TWA or locks.

Finally, it is refreshing to find a book on natural hair care in which the models are truly "natural," and not sporting weaves and/or texturizers. This allowed me to make a realistic assessment of how a finished style will look on my hair. I only wish that I had this book while I was transitioning.

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars An inspiration! August 6, 2007

By LB

Format:Paperback

This book is a great starting point for anyone considering going natural. It gives you a realistic view of what to expect when making a transition from relaxed hair to natural hair. It also suggests some styles and hair care techniques for that rough period of hair breakage and the times when you just want to give in and get a relaxer. Additionally, the author suggests other references, including websites, that will provide further information and inspiration.

After reading this book (in an hour or so) I learned how to care for my hair in ways that prevent it from drying out and breaking. The book also includes recipes for conditioning treatements that acutually work WELL and good information on what to look for in the ingredient lists when buying off-the-shelf products. I never realized how much damage I was doing to my hair (and my daughter's hair) by yanking at it and pulling the blow dryer comb through it. And how drying shampoo really is. I had come to accept that I would have a comb full of hair that I would pull out whenever I shampooed and blow-dried. After using the techniques suggested here for "no-pooing" (a method of cleansing the hair with instant conditioner rather than shampoo) and keeping the hair tangle free during no-pooing, I have experienced significantly less breakage (almost no breakage) and my hair is softer than ever. Even if you decide not to transition to your natural texture, this book will help you stretch the time between relaxers and achieve a more healthy head of hair.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants more information on how to take care of naturally kinky hair.

70 of 76 people found the following review helpful

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing February 27, 2006

By Meredith Johnson

Format:Paperback

I was hoping to find new information here that I did not find off the internet from websites like Nappturality, Motown girl, and other nappy sites. I have been transitioning for 4 months. I have relaxed my hair for most of my life. I must be honest, it makes me think that I could have written this book. It is nothing more than a pamphlet with an advertising plug to the writers' website to buy products. Much too expensive for the "information" provided. I could have given it 1 star but I do not have the heart.